I have the barrel of a muzzel loading Remington rifle I would like to get some information on, as it has been passed down in the family for a few generations now. So any thoughts as to its origin, year or what model of gun it was would be interesting.
The octagon barrel is 31 inches long and is a .36 caliber. Stamped next to the breech plug, on the left side, is 'REMINGTON". Stamped between the breech plug and the rear sights it "H.R.THOMPSON JACKSON, MICH". It has a brass front sight and the side boltster and nipple are still on it.
My dad (82 years old) says it hung around in the attic in the farm house when he was a boy. I'd like to get some ideas of what it is. Any help??
Thanks!

For many years prior to the Civil War, Remington not only made muzzle loading rifles, but made and sold barrels to gunsmiths for building rifles. My sources don't list anyone of that name as a gunsmith in that area, and a Google search turns up nothing of interest except that Thompson is a common name in Jackson, Michigan (there is even a Thompson street).

If the Thompson marking is stamped, it is most likely the name of the gunsmith. If it is engraved, sometimes it is the name of the person for whom the gun was made.

The name is stamped, so maybe the maker, huh?
The story my dad tells is that our family moved to Michigan from Pa because land was given to my something, something grandfather for his particaipation in the Civil War. When they moved to Michigan the land had to be cleared for farming.
Now Dad says that they were clearing and pileing the trees and rabbits would take up residence in the brush piles, so they would have this rifle around for a way to get a bunny burger. (fast food at its finest)
Anyway, in the winters they would set the brush piles on fire to clear the land and this rifle was left up against a pile and forgotton about until the fire was going good. So the only thing salvaged was the barrel.
If any of that is true, then the gun was probably purchased after they settled in Michigan, can't see it coming from Pa.
If I had an idea of what it may have looked like or what the stock was like, I might try buying something similar to make a "wall hanger" out of it. I think if I improved it, maybe some of my kids would take an interest in it and hang on to it.
If this guy was the owner, he was apparently a tough old bird. He was wounded 5 times and came out of the conflict a Captain. Dad still has his mustering out papers.
Would be interesting to know when the gun was made to fit into this story.

As I understand it, you have nothing but a barrel. The fire story in interesting, or perhaps the barrel was never even on a gun. If it was in a fire, it is probably ruined as a barrel and maybe warped.

(I can't see a rifle being used to get a "bunnyburger"; that is what shotguns were for and it has been said with a lot of truth that the shotgun, not Winchester or Colt, was truly the "gun that won the west", or at least kept the pioneers fed while they were doing the winning).

You might be able to find one of the makers of flint/percussion rifles who are around today, and see if he would build a rifle around the barrel. But if he will, hold on when he gives you a price! If you are handy, you might get a Dixie Gun Works (www.dixiegunworks.com) catalog. They have stocks, and the other parts you would need to build a rifle, but I warn you it is a lot of work, and you have to include some specialized tools in the cost.

One thing I think is pretty sure, is that the Remington barrel pre-dates the Civil War, probably by several years. Before, during and after the war, Remington went to mass production, first of military muzzle loaders, then of cartridge guns (mostly the rolling block) and stopped making muzzle loading barrels or guns for civilians.

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